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Ayem
The Ayem is a peculiar parasite native to Yantir, and used extensively in the religious and cultural practices of the populations there. Biology The Ayem is a small, symbiotic creature that could fit into the palm of a human's hand. It attaches itself to the skull of whatever creature it comes in contact with, and immediately its squishy exterior hardens, and it begins to grow three horn-like protrusions from its body. These protrusions are surprisingly malleable at first, and can be twisted and bent by the host, usually hardening into a stiff shell within a few weeks. Symbiotic Relationship Although the Ayem grants many benefits on its host, including increased fortitude, it is a trade rather than a boon. The Ayem relies on its host to survive, and once implanted for a sufficiently long amount of time, the Ayem matures to the point that it cannot survive for long if without a host. This frailty only increases over time, and as such if a host dies of natural causes many years after implantation, the Ayem usually perishes very quickly afterwards. Breeding and Reproduction Due to the highly religious nature of Ayem implantation, the exact nature of their origin, as well as their method of breeding is not widely known, and is generally regarded as a secret of the Nerevic Temple. What is known is that the Ayem was first, and presumably is still, found underground in natural cave systems in the Yantir Region. Cultural Usage The Ayem has become a major symbol of the Nerevic Empire ever since they adopted the custom of its implantation from the Dwarves of Marand. Seen as a sign not only of wealth, but also of piety to the Lady of Candles, people who have implanted the Ayem can be seen all across Northern Yantir and beyond. Due to the large population of the Nerevic Empire, not all citizens are implanted with the Ayem, and its usage is usually reserved for the upper and middle classes, who can afford to purchase it from the Temple, or have influence enough that the Temple provides them. Nevertheless, in an average Nerevic city, approximately 30-40% of the population would have Ayem symbiotes, though these figures drop significantly as one moves further from the empires borders, and the Yantir region specifically. Smuggling The benefits of the Ayem, specifically among the shorter-lived races of the world, lead many wealthy and unscrupulous nobles in lands outside of Yantir to pursue their acquisition. As such, Ayem smuggling is a constant operation in Yantir, and vigorously punished by the Nerevic temple. More grisly still, it is not unknown for recently implanted youths to be targeted for their Ayem, which is forcibly and often barbarically removed before being sold to the new host. This grim theft is usually only targeted at the recently-implanted, as years of implantation weaken the Ayem's ability to survive without a host for any substantial period. Effects of Implantation Life Extension The Ayem's primary function for those who have one is to extend their lives. It is estimated that for a human host, every year the Ayem has been implanted, the host lives and extra half-year. Thus for those implanted relatively young, an extremely long lifespan relative to their race can be expected. For longer lived races, the lengthening of lifespan is diminished, presumably because the Ayem itself has a limited lifespan. Indeed, it has been reported that some Elves have outlived their symbiotes before even reaching an Elven equivalent of old age. As such the acquisition of Ayem among Elves is much less sought-after than other races. Other Effects In addition to extending life, the Ayem is credited with preserving it, noticeably increasing the fortitude and hardiness of those who bear it. These benefits have a cost, however. Bearers of the Ayem are particularly susceptible to cold, and often have reduced reflexes, possibly due to the parasites location on the back of the skull. Nevertheless, for the vast majority of those in Nerevic society, the benefits outweigh the costs. Cultural Effects Outside of a purely physiological perspective, the Ayem becomes a symbol of wealth and status. The three horns that extend from the Ayem can themselves be carefully split and molded, leading many of the aristocracy to adopt fantastical hairstyles and headdresses using the Ayem's protrusions, often decorating the horns with jewels and rings, or wrapping brightly dyed hair around them using wax. Houserules As the Ayem can be applied at any time to the host, and as its use becomes more widespread, wealthy citizens of many different nations have tried to smuggle samples from the Nerevic Temple, seeking the Ayem's life-elongating powers. However, not all of these implantations are successful. In particular, the Ayem seems to wither and die when implanted into Dragonborn or Quel'Doranian Elves, the former likely due to their magical blood, and the latter possibly due to their vampiric heritage. Humans, Telinorian Elves, Dwarves, Sirithi, Hobgoblins and Halflings have all been reported to have successfully meshed with the Ayem, either within Nerevic society or via smuggled Ayem, though the benefits of the Ayem on these races has varied. For the purposes of gameplay: * When an Ayem is implanted, add +2 to the base Con score of the host, and subtract -2 from the base Dex score. These scores are cumulative with the host's racial scores. * The host gains a vulnerability to cold of 5 * For Humans, the host's lifespan is elongated by 1.5 times the Years of Ayem Implantation. For longer lived races such as Dwarves, this increase is approximately 1.1 times, and for Elves, it is not clear that the Ayem can even live naturally as long as an Elven host can. Category:Homerules Category:Animal